Tonon family foursome continues to hustle, shine
Brody Tonon graduated from Bishop England High School last month and will take his football skills to the next level this fall as a member of the Wofford Terriers.
But the Tonon talent pipeline to BE will continue to flow at full force with twin brothers Trevor and Chase, who are showcasing their football skills this summer at various football camps in the region.
College football coaches are getting an up-close and personal look at Trevor and Chase’s speed, strength, and willpower, and the hard work the brothers have put in in the weight room, football field, and classroom is paying dividends.
The brothers, who will be juniors, attended football camps at UNC Charlotte and Coastal Carolina in early June and came away with offers from The Citadel and East Tennessee State University.
Chase, who is a 6-1, 185-pound running back/free safety, turned in a time of 4.57 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He’s coming off a sophomore season when he rushed for 125 yards while recording 116 tackles and causing three fumbles.
Trevor is 6-1, 205, and plays linebacker. A throwback to the old days, Trevor plays with passion and a purpose. He logged 96 tackles and 3.5 sacks last fall to help the Bishops post an 8-4 record and a playoff berth.
“The Tonon brothers both are having great summers,” said BE coach Logan Hall, who has led the Bishops to 17 wins in 24 games in his first two seasons at the helm of the program. “They are working their tails off and are going to be big-time players in the state. They have untapped potential.”
The brothers have good athletic bloodlines. Their father, Ben, played football at Bergen Catholic in New Jersey and is in the top 10 of all-time tacklers at the school. Bergen Catholic is arguably the top football program in the Garden State with more than 20 state championships while producing nine NFL players. He also served as an assistant at the school after graduating in 1993.
While Trevor and Chase will be in the spotlight this fall, there is a younger brother who has had great athletic success. Brother Cole will be a freshman at Philip Simmons High School when school commences in August. Last spring, he cleared 11 feet in the pole vault which was good enough for third place in the Palmetto State and 12th nationally.
BISHOPS EYE FUTURE
Hall said the team will travel to four camps over the summer: University of South Carolina, Charleston Southern, UGA, and The Citadel.
Matthew Ponkow is a talented linebacker who excels in the classroom at Bishop England. He’s considering Charleston Southern, Dartmouth, Brown, Penn, and Yale.
“Ponkow is a hard worker and team leader,” Hall said. “He’s a great guy, and I couldn’t be prouder of him on and off the field.”
John DiLiegrio, the team’s long snapper, has an offer from Gardner-Webb while cornerback Finn Corley has an offer from Hampden-Sydney.
The Bishops will kick off the season with a home game against Porter-Gaud on Aug. 21 at Jack Cantey Stadium.